Family of Missing Odisha Cadet to Fly to Singapore as Vessel Reaches Port

Bhubaneswar: The family of 22-year-old merchant navy cadet Sarthak Mahapatra from Bhadrak district will travel to Singapore on February 14 in a bid to seek answers regarding his mysterious disappearance from a cargo vessel earlier this month.

Sarthak, employed with Anglo-Eastern Ship Management, went missing on February 3 while serving aboard the Singapore-flagged vessel MV EA Jersey. The ship was reportedly sailing near Mauritius en route from West Africa to Singapore, with its final destination listed as China.

Sarthak’s mother, Rashmita Mohapatra, said she would travel to Singapore along with her younger brother as the vessel is scheduled to arrive there on February 15.

“We have decided to travel on February 14 as the vessel from where Sarthak went missing is slated to reach on February 15. We want answers to several questions. We were only informed that he was missing from his room, but no other details have been shared with us,” she alleged.

She further claimed that some of Sarthak’s colleagues who had initially been in touch with the family are no longer responding to calls or WhatsApp messages.

Expressing hope for a breakthrough, Mohapatra said a thorough inspection of the ship, including deployment of a dog squad and a scientific investigation team, could help trace her son. She also demanded access to CCTV footage from two days prior to his disappearance.

The family has written to the government requesting that an investigating team accompany them to Singapore or that the Singapore authorities arrange for a neutral team to assist in the search.

According to reports, Sarthak was last seen entering his cabin in the early hours of February 3 before being declared missing. His disappearance has raised several unanswered questions, prompting his family to seek direct intervention and clarity from authorities.